GI Tract

LX1031, a drug that inhibits serotonin production, relieves symptoms and increases stool consistency in patients with nonconstipating irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), according to a study by Philip Brown et al. in the August issue of Gastroenterology. Serotonin (also called 5-hydroxytryptamine or 5-HT) is a neurotransmitter that controls mood and cognition, as

The drug certolizumab pegol induces remission in patients with Crohn’s disease who have high baseline levels of inflammation, according to William Sandborn et al. in the August issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Patients with moderate to severe Crohn’s disease that do not respond conventional therapy are often treated with

Tumors from patients with gastric cancer can be divided into subgroups, based on their gene expression pattern. This information can be used to select the best treatment, according to Patrick Tan and colleagues in the August issue of Gastroenterology. Gastric tumors have large, inter-individual differences in aggressiveness, histopathology features, and

Patients with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis have reduced levels of an important regulator of the immune response—the receptor for granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF)—according to a study by Jonathan Goldstein et al. in the July issue of Gastroenterology. The inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease arise from

The drug bisacodyl is effective against chronic constipation and improves patients’ quality of life, according to a large study published by Michael Kamm et al. in the July issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Constipation affects 12% to 19% of Americans; its prevalence increases with age and it affects women

Chronic nausea and vomiting in patients with normal gastric emptying is a significant medical problem that is indistinguishable from gastroparesis and might be a separate clinical entity, according to Pankaj Pasricha in the July issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Chronic nausea and vomiting in patients that do not have

Lack of mucosal healing, based on endoscopic analysis, identifies patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) who are not likely to respond to corticosteroid therapy, according to Sandro Ardizzone et al. in the June issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. In a prospective study, Ardizzone et al. followed 157 patients with moderate

A screen for mutations in mismatch repair (MMR) genes could be used to identify young people at risk for colorectal cancer, report Paul Limburg et al. in the June issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. It is a challenge to identify people who are less than 50 years old that

Measuring blood levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation, is a good way to monitor recovery from Crohn’s disease (CD) in patients being treated with infliximab, according to Matthias Jürgens et al. in the May issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. CRP is a protein released into the blood

Individuals who received therapy for cancer during childhood have an increased risk of developing GI complications later in life, according to Robert Goldsby et al. in the May issue of Gastroenterology. About 80% of children who receive cancer therapy survive more than 5 years; therapies can be especially toxic to

About the Author

Dr. Kristine Novak is the science editor for Gastroenterology and Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. She has worked as an editor at biomedical research journals and as a science writer for 15 years, covering advances in gastroenterology, hepatology, cancer, immunology, biotechnology, molecular genetics, and clinical trials. She has a PhD in cell biology and an interest in all areas of medical research.